When we describe someone as a faithful Christian leader, what we have in mind is a person of integrity and congruency.  A faithful leader is one who demonstrates high levels of commitment and dependability.  A faithful leader lives from a deep conviction as a loyal and devoted follower of Jesus.  A faithful leader is a person who reflects maturity and the fruit of the Spirit.  You know you are with a person of faithfulness in Christ because you experience the love of Christ when you are with them.  Faithfulness is the fruit of believing God, the ultimate Faithful One.  God can be absolutely trusted in all things and at all times.  He enables and empowers us to be faithful as we love and lead in every opportunity.

Being full of faith as I seek to serve and resource our Pastors, Boards and local churches is a pursuit that remains a privilege and a challenge.  Being full of faith is an ongoing pursuit in which I value being part of a committed and competent Resource Centre team.

In the last 12 months I have intentionally sought to remind and draw our churches to the reality that God is at work in the midst of life. As some churches struggle with limited human and financial resources and the relational reality of living in a fallen world, I am even more convinced of the need to fix our eyes on Jesus and the message of hope, grounded in the Gospel, that has been entrusted to us. As we grow in offering a taste of what it means to be a part of a Christ-centered community, I believe that we will see the faithfulness of God manifest.

I am encouraged as I watch over ministers who are in the retirement phase of their journey in life. Even though taking that leap from paid employment into retirement comes with many uncertainties and varying emotional challenges, those who have the health, often continue serving in a variety of ministries. Our local churches have an incredible bank of experience and wisdom they can connect with and use for the maturing and service of the local church.

Many of ministers continue preaching, supporting and sharing wisdom they have gathered over time supporting smaller congregations. They have travelled into our country areas for preaching ministry.

The number of retired ministers who are facing limiting and challenging health issues spend many hours praying for their colleagues and any other points that are brought to their attention. Congregations that understand these opportunities and harness this faithful resource find blessings for their cause and assist the retired minister to feel valued in the midst of their afflictions.

This year we honoured two ministry families who had awesome stories to tell at our “This Is Your Life Dinner”. Bill & Joan Grosser and Keith & Julie Ware continue to live out their lives full of years of faithfulness and dedication to the Lord.

This year we have paid tribute to the passing of two retired ministers. Peter Spence and Trevor Booth.  Both were esteemed as men of faithful service to the Lord and his Church.  “Well done good and faithful servants.”

A great challenge for Christians leaders can be our struggle with fear.  American author and self-confessed Calvinist Marilynne Robinson says; “First, contemporary America is full of fear. And second, fear is not a Christian habit of mind.” Marilynne continues, “… no one seems to have an unkind word to say about fear these days, unchristian as surely as this is.” Marilynne believes that countering fear is a challenge; “Fear operates as an appetite or an addiction. You can never be safe enough.” Marilynne’s observations ring true for Australia as well.

As Christian people leaders we need to work with each other to help break the unchristian habit of fear. We need to remember that the Christian story is one of God’s faithfulness. God’s promise to Moses was that he would be with him.  Further, Jesus promises the disciples that he will be with them until the close of the age. God remains faithful to those who follow Jesus.

Fear will keep us stuck in a place of captivity because it teaches us that we can never be safe enough.  Faith pulls us close to Jesus.  Faithfulness is the movement of “go”: remaining close to Jesus, following his leading in and through all seasons that come our way in life.

Picture this…you’re 27 and entering the prime of your life. The path you have been tracking changes suddenly. 9 years later, you decide to fully embrace this new way and go “all-in”. After 1 year, poor health forces you to retire. All you can now do is sit at a desk and sell insurance. How would you respond? I can tell you how Thomas Chisholm responded:

Great Is Thy faithfulness,
Great Is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Faithfulness. “Long continued and steadfast devotion.” At 27, Thomas met Jesus. After “crawling” with him for 9 yrs, he wanted to not just walk, but run! After 1 year in devoted ministry, poor health brought his plans to an end. Sitting at his desk selling insurance also lead him to pen over 1200 poems and multiple hymns, one of which was Great is Thy Faithfulness. If not for that desk job, we may never have had this hymn to draw us close in communion with our Creator. God is faithful. The Holy Spirit is with us as our guide and comfort. Challenges are just new opportunities in unexpected wrapping.

When I think of “faithfulness” and On Mission Games there are two things that come to mind right away. First is the faithfulness to the programs that the churches have been contributing to, and participating in, for many years.  To all those people who have faithfully invested into the ministry of State Youth Games, Masters Games, and Sports Plus over the years, we say a huge thank you. I also think about the faithfulness of people who have volunteered their time and efforts to see others come closer to who Jesus is through the ministry of sport.

The second thing that I reflect on is the call to being a faithful disciple of Jesus.  I like to think about how we can spur churches and individuals on in their pursuit of sharing Jesus around them.  As I go about my work in linking people from churches with their friends and community through sport, I think about ways in which we can foster the relational side of discipleship, with intention to see God do transformative work in the lives of others.

I am so thankful for the faithfulness of those who stepped out and established a ministry through sport through Churches of Christ.  My heart is to continue the legacy of being first a foremost a faithful Christ-follower as I bring my contribution to help continue the faithful work of those who have laid such a great foundation for all of us.

For me, faithfulness is about continually coming back to the same simple question: who (or what) have I put my ultimate faith in? When things are going pear-shaped or when a particular situation or relationship is tested, it is the never-changing reality of God’s love and faithfulness towards me that keeps me grounded. Even as I grumble, complain and question whether God knows what He’s doing, I hope that I can hold fast to the person and character of Jesus through all the bumps along the road.  Faith in God’s expansive love is what keeps me grounded and faithful to His mission.  And when I forget this truth and begin to put too much faith in things or projects or people, I also trust that He will bring me back to that place of secure faith in Him, no matter how far I’ve strayed.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Col. 2:6-7)

I am so thankful to God for the fruitful year it has been!  God has trusted us with his mission to nurture, flourish and multiply.  As an accountant, I see myself as a manager of God’s assets, and I believe that we are called to faithfully thrive in all of the opportunities Christ brings to us.  Providing bookkeeping for churches is just one way that Jesus has given us capacity to help churches manage and use their resources with faithful wisdom. I hope this bookkeeping service continues to be as much a blessing for churches as it has been for me personally.

I thank God every day for His never-ending faithfulness, for providing everything I need.  Even in the tough times, He is always present, prompting me every day, to gently to come to Him in all things.  I seek to practice this truth in both the small everyday decisions and the big ones. When I continually want to take back control, He gently reminds me that He is there for me and to lean in on Him. Prov 3:5-6

The hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness” comes to mind when I think of ‘faithfulness’. Everyday I am blown away by God’s grace and mercy in my life and the abundant blessings He pours out for me, even though at times it is a delayed realisation and I am not always as faithful to Him as He is to me. Having been born and raised in Africa, I have had the privilege of going home every few years and each time I am always reminded by the local people the absolute dependency of putting your trust and faith in God. Without it, we have nothing.

Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me

A passion of mine is community development, both locally and internationally. I love to see the transformation that individuals can bring to those around them and to their greater community of faith. No two transformations are alike, and no two communities are the same; we must therefore be in the habit of drawing close to God to allow him to settle any discomfort towards other communities and the way in which they relate to God, which is far different from my own. Staying faithful to God involves actively remembering that his work is global, cross-cultural, and inter-denominational; that every local church and every believer in Christ is playing an equally significant part as my own. It brings me great joy to see these same values reflected in the board of COCWA, and it has been an absolute honour to serve on the board over this last year. I am truly excited to see where God will lead us in the times ahead.

I oversee a team of chaplains on the frontline of addiction in our city, as overdoses are increasing with the rising use of opioids.

Successful ministry is not counted in terms of numbers of people turning up, as we are off the scale in terms of people showing up in misery. Success is not “cure”, but rather connection, acceptance, and shared humanity, in the light of Christ.

Faithfulness as a follower of Jesus in this ministry for me is a willingness to own my failures and blessings. Not presenting myself as the answer to the current issues; rather, presenting as one who is able to channel Christ to those in need. More often than not I am the one in need. Faithfulness then for me is simply smiling after suffering, hope beyond another overdose, continuing to care for the seemingly endless stream of people seeking freedom from addiction.

Please join with me in praying for the countless families in our city who are struggling with addiction.

The longer I walk with the Lord the more I become aware that He weighs things very differently to us. In a culture that is determined to escape the ordinary and mundane, Jesus sets His gaze on something that is both increasingly neglected, undervalued and perceived as a boring attribute – faithfulness.

I myself am aware of and preach those famous words that we say we long to hear from Jesus, “Well done good and FAITHFUL servant”, yet every day I get caught out and have to ask myself, “Do I weigh faithfulness in the same way Jesus does?”

As I said the longer I walk with the Lord the more aware I am becoming of how He weighs things and increasingly this shapes my life. My entire leadership philosophy and daily decisions are increasingly being shaped by this word, even if it appears I am being left behind by others.

Day in, day out remaining faithful.  Everyday endeavouring to do what is right in God’s eyes. Everyday making mistakes, getting back up and going again. Everyday showing up. You can’t weigh faithfulness in a day, a week or even a year, but it is weighed over a lifetime and that is why it is so rare these days.

When I see Him, I pray that I will be able to hear those words, “Well done good and FAITHFUL servant…”

Reflecting on faithfulness in my professional and personal life, I first considered the populist interpretation – which is something along the lines of ‘staying true despite extenuating circumstances’.  This remains a challenge as life throws us more curve balls than Nathan Lyon can muster and we are, or at least I am, master of arguing that circumstances are different this time around. For me, faithfulness runs parallel to forgiveness, where we know that experiencing forgiveness works when we forgive others.  Likewise, remaining faithful is much easier when keeping tabs on God evidencing his faithfulness to us. Yes, prayer and abiding in Him are crucial here, and the rewards are out of this world!  I have developed, no, that’s not entirely true, I keep developing the habit of looking for the presence and guidance of Jesus in everything I do and find that that works remarkably well for me.  I want to encourage you to give that a go!

When I was a kid, there was a song played at my grandfather’s funeral, and the chorus went:

May all who come behind us find us faithful

May the fire of our devotion light their way

May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe

And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Decades later they still ring in my head when I think of faithfulness, reminding me that my daily actions and decisions are ultimately about what I will leave behind. Faithfulness is a word that inspires me to stay true to His call on my life regardless of “success” or “failure,” times of joy or adversity, to simply live passionately for Him with the one life I have been given.

I recently read a quote that said ‘Nobody slouches into faithfulness – they do it on purpose’. Faithfulness and purpose are two strong words. They say to me that we should strive to do what God has called us to do in both good times and difficult times with a strong sense of purpose and gratefulness for what He has done for us. And as we purposely strive, our faithfulness is developed and strengthened. In leadership, purposefully striving and seeking God’s will, and then stepping out into faith is our challenge and at the same time, the greatest gift.

God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

I’ve been reflecting on FAITH more often than usual of late. Exercising faith requires SOMEONE to put our faith in. For a lot of people, that “someone” is a spouse or business partner, or if it’s not “someone”, then “something” – our own abilities, our superannuation balance or things going smoothly generally. I know I have sometimes been guilty of not praying enough because those “somethings” are going well. When I reflect on the “someone”, my faith grows because that “someone” is God. He is the Jehovah Jireh. In Hebrew, it means Jehovah the provider. I praise and thank God as I break through the layers of human thinking: fate, human rationalisation, fait accompli and logic and remind myself that God is in control. I think our meetings at COCWA board reflect a focus and dependency on God and the great commission and its my prayer that we continue to exercise faith to go into areas that require faith.

In my personal life and in the life of my church family I have definitely seen the faithfulness of God on display over this last year. We have experienced the steady hand of God in a number of painful circumstances that would most likely have led us into dark and difficult days were it not for the Lord’s comfort and peace. We have faced huge challenges as a church as we have embarked on a building program of epic proportions but have watched as the Lord has gone before us and proven himself faithful in all ways. And even now, as we look ahead into an uncertain future as a church, as an association, and as individual disciples of Christ, we can still hear the call of God to boldly place our hope in his faithful hands, trusting that all things belong to the Lord.

Faithfulness suggests that obedience builds and strengthens one’s faith. A demonstration of this principle is seen throughout the bible, particularly the Book of Ruth, who knew she needed to be faithful to the family God had given her. And because of her faithfulness, God took care of the rest. Even though we may not get what we want at the time, whether it’s success or accomplishments, God has an ultimate purpose and time. Obedience comes in many forms, but ultimately it means obeying and trusting that when we are faithful, we honour God and allow him to work in our lives. There have been events impacting our family this year – my partner undergoing a critical surgery, to the birth of our second child –  prayer taught us faith. It was hard work, and certainly it is not a guarantor of getting what we want, but it gave us strength to face any obstacles and put aside doubts and fall in line with God’s purpose.

Being faithful to God in my day to day living means making decisions (even the smallest ones) in reliance on God’s grace and mercy. It is my desire to live my life with an understanding that everything I have, comes from God. With that perspective, there is no alternative but to live a life of total dependence and faith in God.

It is when we train ourselves to be faithful in the little things, that God will allow us the opportunity to show our faithfulness in the big things. Being a creature of habit, I do not often push myself out of my comfort zone but on the times I do, and step out in faith because I feel a prompting from God, He has shown me time and time again that He will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. So my prayer for the year to come is that I will continue to lead a faithful life in service to my family, friends and most importantly, the Lord Jesus.

Steadfast love and faithfulness are often hand-in-hand within God’s Word. We work out the things God has for us to do as servants in the context of our lives from a source of love. It is only through the love of Jesus that we can truly be working out of faith. Personally, I have been challenged to remain steadfast in being faithful by trusting God for what I hope for, but haven’t seen yet. Some days I let myself be dismayed and overwhelmed with difficulties I faced. Faithfulness in action is being obedient out of love, trusting God’s character and pursuing the intimate and right relationship that God desires with us.

As another year comes to a close I reflect upon my role within the properties committee and how remaining patient and faithful in our work sometimes leads to results we had not yet thought of or would have not thought of on our own strength. The year started with a goal to acquire property for CoCWA but in our search has only lead to more questions than answers. It is with these questions that we have been required to explore what God is asking us to do with what we have been entrusted. Questions, such as what is the future of God’s Church in WA to look like, where will there be need, who will be the future generation and where do we spend our money? We can at this point only know that by staying faithful and patient will God truly answer our questions so that we can make the best decision for the CoCWA Properties Committee.